UAE leading the way in travel...

Dubai's flying taxis and Abu Dhabi's 'smart city' examples of innovation

From flying taxis to smart cities with AI everywhere, a new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) highlights how the UAE is leading on travel technology innovations.

Technology Game Changers: Future Trends in Travel & Tourism was produced in association with online travel agent Trip.com Group and launched at ITB Berlin 2025.

The report identified 16 technologies that are shaping the future across four trends: digital technologies, financial technologies, future of mobility and breakthrough innovations.

Some of the technology mentioned in the report is potentially years away from becoming a reality, such as the return of supersonic flight and clean energy derived from nuclear fusion, but some innovations are already being developed and brought to fruition in the UAE.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC said the travel and tourism sector is undergoing a "digital revolution" with innovations such as AI-driven personalisation and advancements in aviation sustainability "reshaping how we explore the world".

“With innovation accelerating at an extraordinary pace, businesses that embrace these advancements today will be the industry leaders of tomorrow.”

Flying taxis in UAE by 2026
One of those innovations and game-changers is air taxis, and Dubai is in the process of building vertiports as it aims to begin this service in 2026.

The Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) signed a deal in February 2024 with the manufacturer Joby Aviation (pictured above), with its all-electric aircraft capable of carrying four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. The aim is to cut travel times on popular routes across the city from an hour to just 10 minutes, while also making helicopter-style trips to island destinations.

The first of four Dubai vertiports is under construction at Dubai International Airport (DXB), with others planned for Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah.

In April 2024, that Dubai deal was followed by the government of Abu Dhabi agreeing partnerships with travel tech firms including Archer Aviation for its piloted, four-passenger aircraft, the Midnight.

Commercial taxi services could launch in the UAE as early as 2025

Smart cities open new opportunities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) features heavily in the WTTC report, which says 94% of industry leaders see it as critical to success.

Marriott Bonvoy’s 2025 Ticket to Travel report said more than two-thirds of consumers (67%) in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have used AI to help plan or research a holiday.

Across the Middle East, from the UAE to Saudi, airlines, tourism boards, hotels and tour operators are all looking to cash in on the AI agent opportunity. During LEAP 2025, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) launched Sara, a smart tour guide to enrich the experience of visitors to the kingdom and the Web Summit Qatar in February 2025 saw the release of an updated version of Sama, the AI cabin crew from Qatar Airways.

AI cabin crew from Qatar Airways

AI is transforming the travel industry, but advances in its uses and applications are also limited by access to high-speed internet connections.

Powered by widespread, superfast wifi and next-generation network technology like 6G, smart cities will be able leverage the full potential of AI and other technology, including augmented reality (AR) to open new tourist experiences, instant language translations and interactive virtual tour guides.

During ATM 2025, the Future Stage will host speakers covering AR and AI

WTTC highlights UAE capital Abu Dhabi in its report, with the city ranked in the top 10 of 142 destinations in the 2024 Smart Cities Index. In 2025, Abu Dhabi launched a plan to become the world’s first ‘fully AI native government’ by 2027 and in September 2025 it will host the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit.

Smart cities help unlock immersive technologies like AR and Extended Reality (XR), with tourists able to travel back in time at ancient sites or explore a hotel before booking. Radisson is already allowing potential guests to do just that, with virtual reality tours available for more than 150 hotels.

Among other tech travel developments in the UAE, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has partnered with Amadeus to advance initiatives such as the use of biometrics and airport experience optimisation.

For more information, visit wttc.org

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